Kool The Gang knew what they were talking about when they wrote the song “Celebration.” Who can resist bopping their shoulders and giving a good shout when the chorus comes on? It’s darn near impossible.

While Kool The Gang might not have written their song about Washington County, our community sure has a lot to celebrate this time of year.

The Verboort Sausage and Sauerkraut Dinner, which takes place on Saturday, Nov. 2, is a 79-year tradition. If there was ever a way to laud cased meat, the people of Verboort know how to do it – with 15 tons of sausage. The dinner, however, is more than food. Proceeds from the meal support the community’s church and school. With more than 8,000 diners, this is a celebration not to be missed.

Even though Halloween has passed, celebrations of Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos in Spanish) begin today. The Hillsboro Main Library and Hillsboro’s HART Theatre have family-friendly festivities this weekend and several Catholic Churches in Washington County are hosting mass and receptions. Explore this list of Day of the Dead events to learn more.

If your style of celebrating is through singing, why not sing along with your local musicians. Hillsboro’s Matthew Gonzalez, aka BooSen, has been a hip-hop artist for more than 20 years. The career is humbling, he says, but he’s gearing up for his final round. Catch his performance in Portland this Saturday.

And last but not least, even the smallest of critters deserve a little hoopla. RatsPacNW is hosting their annual Come Fall for Rats show on Saturday, Nov. 2 at the Washington County Fairgrounds. Rats, often misunderstood, make for great pets, according to Hilary Price, who has cared for more than 500 rats in her lifetime. Learn all that you’ve ever wanted to know about the rodents and raise a glass, or a piece of cheese, to their existence.

Regardless what you celebrate this weekend, Hillsboro, celebrate it to the fullest.